Tennessee's Lil Bit
by crazychika03
Summary: When Tennessee finds a lil orphan girl he takes her long enough for her to get stronger. But as time goes on he soon gains her trust and affections, and begins to learn more of her dark secret. He also finds himself in a bind thus leaving him with a difficult decision to make... Keep the lil girl with him... or Send her home...
1. Chapter 1

_I realized that I'll probably be using some terms in this story that people may not know of so, I will _

_be posting the meanings to the phrases or terms used. _

**_Terms Used: _**

**_Barber's Cat: Half-starved, sickly looking person. _**

_**I OWN NOTHING! **_

_**LYRICS FROM THE SONG BLOWN AWAY BY CARRIE UNDERWOOD **_

**_TENNESSEE_**_** KID COOPER BELONGS TO SUCKER PUNCH!**_

_**I OWN LIL BIT!**_

Tennessee's Little Bit

_'There's not enough Rain in Oklahoma to wash the Sins out of __**THAT**_ _House_

_There's not enough wind in Oklahoma to Rip the nails out of the Past!_

_Shatter every window til it's all blown away! _

_Every brick _

_Every board _

_Every slammin door blown away!_

_Til there's nothin left standin_

_Nothin left of yesterday! _

_Every tear soaked whiskey memory blown away!' _

It was a quiet day out in Arizona like any other, I was at the hide out kickin' back in a rockin' chair on the porch; when I suddenly felt movement in my money pouch, I lifted my hat a lil' and glanced down at what or who was diggin' in my pocket!

Turns out, it was a lil coon girl, must'a been at least a six-year kit, hair was a mangled curly mess! Poor lil' bit was smelly n dirty and on top of that she was skin and bones with her face all sunk in from not eatin! We just kept eye contact with each other, then as if she thought she could get away with it, she started to slowly back away from me then tried to take off; poor kid didn't stand a chance. I got up and jogged after her, well she was sickly it wasn't that hard to catch the little thing; "NAO! Lemme go! Lemme go! Please mister I _**NEED**_ this money!" she pleaded with me, "Now looky here young'in, I'll give ya the money but first ya gotta tell me exactly why ya need it in the first place."

Poor little thing looked up at me with those big pitiful green sad eyes, "I heard you had a lot of money! On an account that you're a rich outlaw!" she said, well that would explain why she picked me but that don't explain why she needed the money, then she just sighed as if she'd just been beat.

"Can I just show you?" she asked me; I nodded and she led me away to a little hidden cave out in the desert, "Jack!" she hollered and crawled into the hole. "Jack c'mon! Get up I brought somebody here with me!" she said as she pulled out what appeared to be her brother, "I don't understand... why he won't wake up?" she said, somehow I think she knew but didn't want to admit to it; "Sweet heart why don't you... maybe get something to drink for your brother …" I said and she did just that, and while she was gone I checked his pulse n searched for a heart beat but... There wasn't no sign of life in the lil cowboy's body, the way I figure it he must've died a day or two back; his poor sister, when she got back she asked what I was doing … That's when I had to break it to her, "Sweetheart... I don't think you're little brother's with us anymore hun." I said, it pained to tell her that.

The look on her face made my heart drop and the cry she gave bout near killed me! "JJJJAAACCCCCKKK! NNNOOO! NO! NO NO NO! PLEASE! JACK! COME BACK!"

I grabbed her up n held her, holding her tight to me as she struggled to get away from me; "Jack please! I want my little brother!" she hollered

…

I carried her back to my little shot-gun house hide away, I was starting to wonder bout this strange little mistress; who was she and how did she get all the way out here to Arizona!?

I sat her down and got a fire going in the fireplace, I looked over at the little girl; her cloths ragged, smelly n sodden; and my only other thought was to get them washed and cleaned, though to be honest if I had some cloths for her I'd make her wear something else so I burn what she had on! "Sweetie why don't you take those cloths off and..."

I thought somebody had tried to shoot her! Her body stiffened up, eyes got as big a doe's and she dropped the cup she was sippin coco out of; then her ears drop and she whaled, "PLEASE! Please don't hurt me mister!" I watched as she fell to her knees and her body shook and trembled, gosh seeing that made me wonder even more bout her and it worried me! What on earth had happen to this child!?

"Look b.. Lil' bit I dunno what kind of life you had before now but... I just … want to let you know, I will NOT harm you! I promise! Now then, all I want to do is get your cloths washed, I mean goodness! Look at them! They're nasty n torn! Don't ya want somethin clean to wear?" I asked, but my only response was a shaken child that hugged herself. I gently put my hand out and began pushin' her hair outta her face which, resulted in her flinchin' at my touch; "Ssshh, I promise whatever's happen to you lil' bit, I will NOT do to you." I told her, I think it must've clicked 'cause she looked at me with a change in her eyes; she began to relax and calm down, she softened a bit.

"Okay..." she said, looking up at me with a smile; she backed up and started tuggin' her cloths off, "Here baby." I tried to help her but she lurched backwards, so I backed off respectfully.

…

I stood over the stove makin some pork n beans for us to eat, "Hey mister, what are you gonna do with my cloths?" came a little voice.

"Well I plan on washin them, and..." I sniffed the air and wwhhheeeww! Something smelled rotten in the Alamo! Then I turned to face the girl and realized the smell was coming from her!

"Little girl...when was the last you had a bath?"

"I … I don't know..." she said sheepishly

"Well the food's done, here I'll get you some warm water goin." as I headed outta the house and pumped some water for her bath, figured may as well bath her while the food cools off, I glanced back and saw the naked child with an un-nerved fear in her eyes as she bit her lower lip; it made me SICK to think of what she could've been through

"C'MON OUT LIL BIT!" and not but a few minutes later she came out, her fur matted and dirty ribs was showin', she had scrawny chicken legs 'n thin arms... She just looked as bad as a barber's cat!

"You comfortable with me pickin' you up?" I said my arms were ready to carry her, she looked uneasy at me huggin' her chest, in a shrunken position. "I won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable 'kay?" poor baby, she started shakin so I did what any gentleman would do in that situation; I held my hand out for her, I figure, if she don't want me carryin' her the least I could do was help her get down the steps. She began to reach out for my hand shaking like a lil' leaf, "Trust me lil bit, I won't harm you... I promise." I said, hand in the air and the other over my heart, I held my arm out again and she grabbed my arm and I led her away and helped her into the warm bath, I knelt down and began scrubbin her; and most of the time she was stiff as an ol' board! "Relax, I already done told you I wasn't gonna harm you." but all that did was just result in her huggin her self n shuttin her eyes tight as she could, I guess she was bracin herself just in case she needed to be ready; but whatever she was waitin for never came as I lifted her out of the tub and began dryin her off, as I finished dryin her she blinked her eyes, still huggin herself in shock of had happened or... What may not have happened, and she looked at me a lil unsure of it all.

"Y..."

"Ssshh, now the food should be cool enough fer us ta eat." I said and wrapped a fresh towel around her body and lead her into the house.


	2. Chapter 2

_Terms used: _

_**Chickabiddy**:__ A term of endearment__ towards children _

_**Kedge**:__ Good Health; Good Spirits. _

It'd been a few hours later, and I had finished washin her cloths; she was laid up on the bed wrapped under the sheets tryin to keep warm shiverin under the blanket. I got up and sat next to her and laid another blanket on her and began messin with her curly hair, once she got warm she settled into a warm deep comfy sleep, something she probably aint had in a lloongg time! I lay my head on the wall and stroked her hair. It was kinda heart warming to watch her nestle her head into the pillow, I was a lil worried bout somethin' though; where was she from? And … Though I had a sneakin suspicion of what may have happened to her … I really hope I'm wrong... I still didn't know who this little girl was; but, right now that don't matter, for now... she's my little bit, well more like my responsibility anyway...

That's it! That's just what I'll call her...

Little Bit!

….

I got up the next mornin n stretched my arms out, popped my back and got to goin with the day's chores; but before I could, I looked down beside me only to find little bit gone!

My heart sank and my stomach was in knots!

"LITTLE BIT?!" I said throwin back the covers, "LIL BIT! WHERE'D YA GO?!" I hollered, tearin through the room like a twister in small town in Kansa! where _WAS_ that child?!

"Yes sir?" she said walking in rubbin her eyes, I sighed relieved that she was ok; I had never been so scared in my life! Oh look at me would ya?! Gettin all frighten and upset … And she aint even my daughter! "I was just thirsty and got some water." she said, as she stretched and yawned; I began to relax and shake my head, more happily relieved then anything. I began walking towards her and held my arms out to pick her up only to have her walking backwards with her nearly trippin over her tail, that's when I remembered that she wasn't big on people touching or holding her.

So I put my hands up as a way to surrender and show her that I wasn't gonna mess with her, she just looked up at me and I could tell the look on her face, a sweet smile and softened eyes, like it was her was of saying _'Thanks fer understanin.' _

"Alright chickabiddy, why don't you go back to sleep and I'll get some of the chores going." I told her rufflin up her hair, she got a lil stiff at first but then eased up a bit and smiled at me, then she went on n curled back up in the bed. I smiled as I watched her curl up, kinda like how parents do when they watch their children...wait... NO! She aint mine! .. And she's going back to wherever the heck she came from, when she's back to bein in a good kedge… I gotta take her back to where she came from … I gave a lil sigh, I barely knew this kid and already I was gettin 'tached to'er... I looked back at her and watched as she curled back up under the blankets, I figure once I got done takin care of things 'round here I'll get her up and goin. I walked over to an opened window and rested my arms on the ciel and looked out at the early mornin sky and saw how red it was and chuckled to myself. "Hahehe... Red Sky at night take delight, but red sky in the mornin sailors take warnin! Well maw, looks like bad weather's gonna be comin in soon...I sure wish you was here maw, I miss those old days of us together out on the seas... Now I got this young'in here with me... Not really too sure of _what _to do with her... C'mon maw... Think ya could help me out, I don't plan on sendin her back lookin like she does but... I got a bad feelin in the pit of my guts that if I take her back, something bad's gonna happen..." I said, I could feel the stern thinkin look on my face... I guess I knew I'd have to take her back, sides what's an ol' outlaw like me doin takin care of a lil kid anyway?

Just not right...  
Just not normal... No, she's gotta go back... She will go back... I can't keep her... I just can't...


	3. Chapter 3

It was late in the evenin when that storm finally hit. I sat in the kitchen thinkin of a new caper to do, the rain was poundin down something fierce! I raised my brow chucklin thinkin to myself, '_Well maw looks like you were right.' _ The lightening was flashing and the thunder rolled, then after one good crack of thunder I heard a shrill frightened scream which had me jumpin a good ten feet in the air! Looks like the storm was scarin the mess outta lil bit! She'd jumped outta this big ol' arm chair I had sittin in front of the fire place hidin under a blanket and run and hide behind the door to the bed room, I got up and walked towards her and kneeled; "Hey baby girl, its okay. Why don't you come sit with me til the storm stops." I suggested, holding my hand out to her. And before I knew it lil' bit had come runnin up to me clutching my shirt tight! I was actually kinda shocked! She'd actually come to me! But then I relaxed and wrapped my arms around her and to my amazement... she _LET_ me hold her!

Funny to think that before she wouldn't dare let me touch her! And now she's turning to me for comfort and hopin' I'll keep her safe... Just like I was her papa or somethin... But then I thought, '_Well I am the only adult 'round her for to turn to! Maybe she's just doin this cause she aint got much of a choice...' _The thought kind of upset me a bit but I didn't think too much on it. As she buried her face into my belly and clutched my shirt tightly, I held her tighter and wrapped my tail around her.

I picked her up and walked her over to a rockin chair I had in the corner of the room and started rocking her.

"I'm gonna sing you a song my mother used to sing to me that would put me to sleep or make me feel better, how's that sound honey bee?"

She looked at me tryin to smile through the swollen eyes 'n the tears.

"Okay then you just sit back 'n listen to ol' Tennessee sing ya lullaby."

She cuddled into my belly and snuggled my tail, as I sang

"Over in Killarney, many years ago  
My mother sang a song to me  
in tones so sweet and low  
Just a simple little ditty  
in her good old Irish way  
And I'd give the world if she could sing  
that song to me this day

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry.  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby."

I sang and as I did she began to relax and cuddle me even more so, and clutched my tail like it was an ol rag-doll she slept with every night. I stroked her hair and looked down at her, she seemed calm enough until another crack of thunder hit and she chirped a little. "Ssshh its okay, its okay. I'm here, I got'cha." I said holding her close, and continually rocking her; so I kept singing to her.

"Oft in dreams I wander  
to that cot again.  
I feel her arms a-hugging me  
As when she held me then.  
And I hear her voice a-hummin'  
to me as in the days of yore,  
when she used to rock me fast asleep  
outside the cabin door.

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry.  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby."

And with that final chorus, she was out; I think between the steady beating of the rain on the roof, the rockin 'n a singin there wasn't a snowball's chance she'd be able to stay awake! She wrapped my tail around her like protective blanket and was sound asleep, my sha baby girl...

wha!?  
NO! She is NOT mine! She aint mine... And never will be...

Ooooh ol' Tennessee you are gettin in wwwaayyy too deep ol' boy! Sides... I'm an outlaw! And an outlaw aint got NO business raisin a baby girl! But... Looking at her I just couldn't help it!

I could feel it... I could feel myself just fallin head over heels for this lil young'in! I could feel myself gettin more n more 'tatched to'er as the hours went on... I...

No, she aint mine... I can't admit it! I just can't!

"_I love you daddy..." _I heard her whisper, it stunned me a little bit but then again... she could'a been dreamin bout her ol' daddy... "_I can't do this... I'm an outlaw for pete's sake! What am I doing with this lil girl anyway? … I gotta take her home soon... Or at some point."_ I said to myself, I looked down at her and watched as she lay in my lap, smiling happy as a lark. I plopped my head on the back of the chair, kinda feel like I was outta options right now but... Well I'll figure something out I guess... But for now I guess I'm just kinda stuck with her... Which I guess I didn't mind...

I just don't know what to do with this lil girl anymore!


	4. Chapter 4

Well now we've gone from being in the middle of May time to the middle of October and she's still here with me and happy as ever! Well, so much for taking her back... I just couldn't do it! But a small part of me knew I had too...But.. I was happy having her here. My home, my life... It all seemed so... empty until she showed up.

I went outside and found her drawin in the dirt, then I had another thought... She aint got much of nothin to wear!

"Hey Lil Bit! Whadda ya say me 'n you go to town... get ya some new cloths? That sound good?" I said, she just looked at me her face lit up like a christmas tree! "Can we get a pretty periwinkle one? And light blue one?! And purple one! And a lavender one!"

when she chirped out all those colors well I stood there a little stunned... How the HECK was I supposed to know what colors were what! I'm a man for pete's sake! I just knew all those simple colors, like blue and purple!

"Well...sure! Why not! … Anything for my baby girl." … There I go again, callin' her my little girl; this has gotta stop... but, oh well.

"C'mon dad!" she said pulling me by the hand, I could barely react before she had me drug out the door!

…

We'd made it to one of the local shops that sold dresses, before I could say anything she dashed into the store. I couldn't help but chuckle as I watched her dart around the store like a little bee, "Daddy daddy! I like this mint one! And this pretty light blue one! See! Its periwinkle! Just like what I want!" She said chirping happily, well all I could do was scratch my head and smile; then to my dismay... I caught sight of two middle age high class women, I could hear the whispers...

"_Isn't that Tennessee Kid Cooper!?" _one said

_"Why I do believe it is?! What on EARTH is doing with that little girl!?" _

_"Perhaps he's holding her hostage?!"_

_"Oh he couldn't be! Didn't you hear her call him 'daddy'?"  
"When did he have a child?!" _

_"I don't know... But I will say this! _An OUTLAW has NO business raising a child!"

When I heard that fat heffer say that, OUT LOUD! Ooohh I wanted to pull out my pistol 'n start shootin!

But... I guess Bit saw what was going on, and began tuggin on my shirt. "Daddy... Daddy I got my dresses I want, can we please get them and go home?" she pleaded with me, but I was too angry to even hear anything else. I had my sights set on that loud mouth, meddlin hussy! "DADDY! Can we please go?!" she yelled and I shook my head and realized what was going on; I looked around and found the other patrons looking at me and the scene I was about to cause. "Yeah Little bit, give'em here." I said and she handed me the cloths, I went to the counter, paid for'em all the while Little bit stayed close by my side, which kinda made me feel a lil bit better.

…

"Daddy... Why did that lady say you had no business raisin me?" she said to me, I looked back at her feeling kinda drained and then looked away, "Baby girl why don't you... go put on a lil show, I wanna see those dresses on you."

she nodded and darted off to the bedroom. I plopped down into the nearest chair, "_She's gotta go back Tennessee … There's no if's and's or but's about it..." _I muttered. All this daddy stuff, playing pretend, spoilin her … It's gotta stop...

I can't be doin this anymore...

It'll take me at least a week or two to get what I need, so it's decided... I'll get her to talk about where her and family are from... see if she has any family there, and take her back and leave her there...

My heart broke at the thought... I couldn't bare it, I'd gotten so used to her being around her and making this place more of a home for me but... but I knew it was for the best...For her... And.. For me...


	5. Chapter 5

Its been about two weeks, I got what I need now all I need to do is figure out where she lives... I try to ask her about it but when I do, she gets all quiet and shrinks down... Sometimes I wonder if she knows what's going and just won't tell me. Maybe I'll never get her outta here... Not that I'm eager to get ride of or..even WANT to get ride her of but, I'm just thinkin of what's best for her...

I had all but just about givin up when one day, I got a letter from my brother, ol' Howie Cooper. I chuckled when I saw who it was from, "What did you do this time Howard?"

I opened up the letter and read it, it wasn't anything major, he just telling me hi and wanting me to come up for a visit, even though he knew I said I would NEVER return to my childhood state of Kansas. But for once, I think I may go back; just fer a visit.

"Oh Lil bit!" I hollered out, the little girl came out of the bedroom she looked up smiling. "Yes papa?" she said, my ears dropped and I darted my eyes away from her feelin guilty. "We're gonna go on a little trip."

"Where to?"

"We're going to Kansas, to see my brother."

"We … aint gonna go through Oklahoma to get there... are we?" she said becoming incredibly uncomfortable, I became a little suspicious. So, Oklahoma is it?

"I'm not sure, shouldn't have too." I said, the second I said that she breathed a sigh of relief; I think I may have just found where I need to go, now to figure out who to take her too.

"C'mon bit let's go pack us some cloths." I said, and like the little shadow she was she followed me to the other room and we packed; "We gonna get there safe...Right?" she asked me, I raised my brow at her confused, why the heck would she ask me that?! "Well of course we will! Why wouldn't we?" I asked her, she didn't look at me; she just looked away pressing her fingers together, looking away uneasy as she shrank wrapping her tail around her feet. I knelt down to her level and put a hand on her shoulder. "Little Bit … Talk to me, why would you ask that? Did something happen to your family when you were traveling?" I asked her, she hugged herself and tears starting swelling up in her eyes, and well... I guess you could say the dad in me just came back out, and wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. I rubbed her back and she snuggled her face into my neck, I really hate seeing her cry; I never realized being a dad was so...hard...

And I really gotta stop callin myself her daddy...

Fer the rest of the day, we just loaded down the wagon and once that was done we left. I figure if I get tired enough we'll get off someplace 'n I'll get some sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

We'd spent a lot of afternoon and evenin travelin, by the time midnight rolled around Lil Bit was curled in a ball next to me with her head laid in my lap. I smiled fondly at her and started strokin her head, I sighed broken hearted. "_What are you doing Tennessee? Why you takin her back anyway? You admitted it yourself at one point, your her daddy! And what's it matter what them hussies think!? … But if I get arrested... What's gonna happen to her then? I just can't take that risk... I know I been good about not getting caught so far, but... there's always that risk..." _I said to myself, I didn't feel like what I was doing was right, but in a small way I... I guess I was hoping it was the right thing for her, I wanted to believe that anyway...

I'm really not sure what time it was but I knew it had to be pretty late, so I just pulled over and picked up Lil Bit and wrapped a blanket around us and called it a night.

I just hope nothin' happens to us while we're stopped for the night, maybe we'll get lucky...

….

_"What you think we got here hoss?"_

_"Looks like a ol' man n his daughter, might have some good money on board though if this is who I think it is!" _

_"What about them horses?" _

_"Just that stallion, the marie's not good for nuthin!" _

_"C'mon let's get to it!" _

My ear twitched at the voices but, I just thought I was hearing things as I so often do; and sadly, I didn't dream those voices... And before I knew it, I was staring down the wrong end of a barrel... I looked up to see who it was wielding the gun and it was none other then Randy Goff and his buddy! I scowled as I began to reach for my shootin iron but then I heard a noise that made me sick!

Randy's lil buddy, ol' Frankie Jr., had cocked his pistol and aimed it at my little girl! I looked over in horror! What kinda MONSTER would threaten to shoot a little girl!?

"Well well well! If it aint Tennessee Kid Cooper... and his purdy lil baby girl! I didn't know you was a paw?" Randy said, his ugly Rottweiler mug starring me down as he turned to his ugly coon hound partner Frankie.  
"Too bad we missed the baby shower! Where's her maw?" Frankie said

"Ppff hahaha! Knowin ol' Tennessee he probably don't know who her mama is!"  
"Yeeaah, she probably some parlor girl."  
"Hahahaha! Aahhooo, was she purdy painted lady Kid? Kinda funny she dumped this lil girl wit'cha, guessin she didn't care nuthin bout her little girl eh? Ahahahaha!" as Randy finished that sentence I began to grip my shootin iron tight! And while he wasn't payin attention I pulled out my gun and fired off a round, only to have it miss my target and go through the roof of the wagon. Good shootin Tennessee, now we're surely in for it! "So you thought you could take a shot at me eh!?" Randy said, an evil grin crawled across his face; and before I could do anything, Randy had me pinned to the floor of the wagon and Frankie had Lil bit by the scruff of her neck! "DADDY!" she screamed, "DADDY PLEASE! DON'T LET THEM HURT ME!" she screamed even harder. Frankie shook his head at the sound of the screamin, then threw bit on the floor. "Aaahhaa..." She muttered gripping her head curling into a ball. Then grabbed her up by her tail and grinned at her with an sinister look in his eyes, then that fice had the gaul to say the worst thing I think I'd ever heard in my life!  
"Ya know somethin Randy... I was just thinkin, why don't take this purdy lil lady back to where her mama works! Like that whore house in Salt Lake City! Then maybe see what the owner thinks of her, maybe she'll keep this youngin around til she's older enough to be a parlor girl herself!"

Oooohhh! When I heard that! Why that low-down no good rotten shady snake! The accusation was about little bit's mother was bad enough but his threat to send her away to a whore house was... just ..IT WASN'T GONNA HAPPEN! I lurched up and reached for my pistol but before I could do anything, Ol' Frank had a pistol held to Little Bit's head.

"Look now.. there's no need to..."

"Oh yes there is Tennessee! Now, either you give us what we want, your gold, the stallion and the wagon. Or we take this here little fice down to the local brothel in Salt Lake. Now then... do we got us a deal?" said Randy, all I could do was just give the dirtiest look I could muster up...And agree to the bargain; "Fine! Take all this stuff! I don't care nuthin bout it! Just... Don't do anything to my little baby girl!" I pleaded with them, Randy turned to Frankie and he chucked little bit out the wagon like she was a rag doll and just plum kicked me out!

Well I didn't care no way, all I cared about was that my child wasn't harmed... My child... C'mon now Tennessee pull yourself together! Or did ya forget the whole reason why you were making this whole trip in the first dang place!?

I looked over at my charge and saw her head was bleeding, I quickly ran to the old mare and grabbed out some gauss, and wrapped it around her head; "Baby girl, baby girl! Wake up, are you okay?" I said growing more and more concerned.

I grabbed her up and jumped on the horse, with Little Bit on my lap I rode to the closest town in Utah.

I just hope I'm not too late!


	7. Chapter 7

**Western Phrases used:**

***To get my/your back up - to get angry**

***Hair in the Butter - Delicate Situation**

Chapter 7

It felt like time had been moving slower then molasses in the winter, I sat in the waiting room waitin on them doctors to give me some kind of news!

But I couldn't take it! My stomach was sick in knots, and the more I had to wait the more anxious I got!

"Excuse me sir...You alright?" I heard, it sounded like a southern womanly voice; I turned my head only find that sure enough, it was a woman alright, and the sight I found was a sight to behold! She was a lovely little coon woman, must've been the relative of a man in government, 'cause from the way she dressed, she looked like she came from a high class society, she had on a some kinda long jacket that was a lightish tannish brown? I don't know, Lil Bit would've known... Haha there I go again, anyway, she had on somethin else under the jacket because some kind of pouffy sleeves were coming out maybe a few inches past her jacket, with what I assumed was either a green skirt or a dress, either way it got her body in just the right places, hugged her hips just right, her breast looked larger then what they may have been... Gah! Oh c'mon now Tennessee! Get it together! You've a youngin here in the hospital 'n your all worried about some woman's breasts!? Man, I've got to be the world's biggest RAT just for that!

But anyhow, her hair was a lightish brown in huge big ol' soft 'n velvety ringlets and her eyes were as green as soft tall grass back in Kansas, ya know how after Spring really sets in? Yeah, that kinda green.

She came and sat next to me, "Ya'll doin alright hun?" she asked me concerned as she patted my hand, I looked away shaking my head; how could I tell this stranger, that this little girl was caring for, was hurt because I was stupid and forgot we could take the damn train! No, I had to go the hard way and travel by a dang wagon! I felt real stupid in that moment

"Look I saw that little bit going into the back, and to be honest I'm sure she'll be okay... So I take it ya'll were travelin by wagon?" she said in what could only be a Louisiana accent... It was actually kinda cute. She was such a sweet little woman.

"Ya know you're baby girl was awful cute, she look just like you." she said, aaawww shucks! Little Bit wasn't even my daughter and I got this kind lady saying she looks just like me. "Aaahhhaaww well shucks, thank ya kindly miss." I said, I could feel my face burning like fire as I tipped my hat over my face and she giggled, I just figured maybe I was turning redder then a beet! Then we each smiled at each other.

"Well, mind if I ask where ya'll were heading?" she asked

"Me and my... My daughter...were heading, towards Kansas." I told her

"Oh well..." she began but then suddenly one of the doctor's come out, my heart dropped like a stone and I jumped to my feet like a jack-rabbit on a sugar rush! Worried about...Look at me! DANG IT! I'm worry bout some little runt that aint even mine! But... I looked over to that stranger, and she got up and stood next to me. "My little baby girl in there okay?" I had asked, I felt like I could've thrown up right there in front of the doctor, the nervousness, the worry it all ate me alive like a snake eats up a little bird … Then the lady I had been talking to had come up next to me and grabbed my arm, "Is she gonna be alright doc?" she asked, I looked a little shocked at this woman, I didn't even know her and yet the look of concern on this woman's face was sizable, she even looked a scared for Little Bit, I found it odd how a complete and utter stranger was showing such great concern and sympathy for a child that wasn't her's! And yet she was just as worried about her like Little Bit was actually her own daughter!

The doctor nodded and smiled, "Yes Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, you're daughter's going to be just fine, just be careful if you plan to continue traveling by wagon." said the doctor as he began to walk away. Me and the lady both stood stunned! Mr. and **_MRS.'s_ **Cooper?!

"Well now wait here just a cotton pickin minute doc! He's not my..."

"She aint my wi..."

But it was too late cause the doctor had already walked away and gone to see somebody else, I couldn't help but raise my brow and chuckle at the aggravated look on the little woman's face.. Wwwhooowee! Did that doctor get that little woman's back up when he left! Her eyes were all narrow, her face all scrunched up, her lips and curled into her mouth and her hands on her hips as if she'd been insulted that an outlaw could've been her husband! I just looked away a little embarrassed and chuckled, seeing as she could've had a right to be insulted, I mean c'mon! What high class lady is gonna marry a class-less outlaw like me anyway?

Her expression loosened up and she rolled eyes like whatever, it wasn't her problem anyway and then she turned to me with a defeated sigh and soften smile and spoke, "Look hun, I think that little girl in that room needs you right now, why don't you head on there..." she said, I could tell by her voice she wanted to go in and see if Lil Bit was okay, so I offered to let her take a little peek.

"You don't mind?" she asked, I told her no I didn't mind and the two of us walked towards the bedroom.

"Oh I feel like a … A noisy old goat comin in here like this! Are you absolutely sure you don't..."

"No ma'am I don't mind a bit. Besides, I could tell you wanted to see if she was okay..." I said smiling back at her, she just looked away and smiled back at me, as we both went into the room.

And there she was, laid with her head bandaged, she laid back weary and tired … She was thinking though, that blank tired look was a face I had seen often, whenever Bit was thinking hard, she would be sittin back or laid up someplace and just space out for a few hours until I came to get her, I should know because the night we came home from the dress store I found her in her usual sleepin spot, naked and ready for bed, but when I found her like that on the bed she had a tired blank expression on her face; when I had asked what was wrong, she told me about those ladies and how it had upset her, and how she was scared they would have the law come in and take her away from me... Not knowing what to do in that moment I just held her till she fell a sleep in my arms.

I walked up to her bedside and shook her, almost knowing this was gonna be one of those hair in the butter kinda situations... "Hey Bit, what's wrong?" I asked her

"What those rotten men said.. about my mama..." she said, not hardly looking at me.

I knew it had to upset her greatly, I knew what it was like being in her spot, having people make dirty comments about your dead mother, people that never knew her! People that never knew what a brave and loving woman she was for giving up her life to protect her three kids, and one of them, the baby girl, belonged to that evil man! The kind of woman that would hold and cuddle her kids when they were upset or scared and telling them it was gonna be okay, especially when daddy was having one of his drunken fits! Ragging like a loon-a-tic throwing things all over the dang house! And yelling at mama, making nasty accusations about her and how she was saloon girl and had two boys that didn't belong to him... When really … Your poor mama was raped by two different men, which kind of explains me n Howie... And she married some nutcase who couldn't accept the fact her two sons didn't belong to him... A man that was furious about having to adopt me and my brother in the first dagum place! …

But that's another story for another day... Or for a shrink that I'll never go see but, you get the point.

I looked away as my heart sank to my stomach, poor little baby girl, then the lady came over to her. "Mind if I sit for a spell sweetheart?"

Little Bit looked up at her with tired and grouchy eyes, "I don't care..." Bit responded, I stroked my hand over her head. I looked and saw the tears began to stream from her face, "My mama wasn't a line girl! She was loyal lady! She wasn't no dirty saloon girl! She was good woman! With a good heart! And she loved us kids! And she loved daddy!" she hollered

The woman began to whipe the tears out of Bit's eyes, then she looked at Bit curiously.

"Baby girl..." she spoke

Little Bit looked up at the woman, anger and hurt in her eyes, Bit sniffled and replied to the lady.

"Yes ma'am?"

"What's your mama's child?" she asked.

Bit sniffled again, "Rena Hattie Neal, why?" she asked, the woman looked at her amazed. Did she know Little Bit somehow?! And a better question was, did she know who Little Bit really was, and who she lived with?

But before I could say anything the lady got up, fixed the skirt of her dress and spoke, "I will say this about your mother sweetie, she was an amazingly good friend and beautiful mother and wife and she was loved by all for her strong will and kind heart. I know how much she loved you kids." she said stroking Little Bit's head and began to walk out the room, the whole time I sat with my mouth dropped, as she headed out the room she passed by and closed my mouth and said to me, "Don't do that sugar, you'll catch flies like that." she said, and with that she left... I couldn't help it and I followed out after her!

"Hey wait now! Where do you think you're going?! And how do you know …" I began but she placed a finger over my mouth and shushed me, then she peered back into the bedroom where Bit was.

"Look, I got a good feeling we'll be meeting up again soon. But in the mean time I don't wanna explain myself here, not in front of Gracie." she said,

Wait... who the heck was Gracie?! Unless... I turned back to face Little Bit... Gracie...Could that be her name?

She motioned her head back towards the room where the little girl was and I slowly went back into the room, but before I could the woman got my attention for one last time.

"Well I hope things will be alright and OH! Before I forget, here." she said and handed me two train tickets, that were oddly enough heading towards Kansas! What were the odds, that this stranger was also going towards Kansas?! "Good luck to ya'll!" she said as she walked away. I wish I knew who she was... I watched as she walked away, "Thank you..." I said and walked back into Bit's room...


	8. Chapter 8

_**QUICK NOTE! **_

**_Sorry for taking for friggin ever to update this story! ^^; _**

**_I've been losing motivation lately for this story but I try the best I can to finish this story up soon! It won't be too much longer until I've got this story done. :) _**

**_Anyway_**

**_Enjoy :)_**

Chapter 8

I watched as she sat up and hugged her knees, it'd been a few days and Lil Bit was beginning to cheer up as the days went on. I sat next to her one day and watched her as she peered out of the window looking out to the sky, she seemed a little distracted but her eyes said that she seemed a little sad, like she missed somebody close to her...

"Daddy... You think my mama went up to Heaven? And if she did, do you think maybe she asked Jesus to help her find a new family for me? Or somebody that she knew would have a good heart and would take care of me? … Someone like you?" she asked me, it's funny how kid have a way of catching you off guard with even the simplest of questions. I had started petting her head, unsure of what to tell her; such'a sweet lil kid …

...

Later when the doctor's had released her and said we could go, we headed to the train station. I was still kinda beating myself up over not doing this in the first place! Oh well, all water under the bridge now I sat on the train relaxing in our rail car, I sat one arm draped over the seat, my legs crossed over each other with Bit next to me curled into a ball as she tried to use her tail like a blanket.

"Why are we _REALLY_ going papa?" she asked, then she gave me a look like she was tryin to ask, _'You tryin to get ride of me.. aren't ya?'_

"Like I said to see your uncle... My brother." I told her, I looked down and kinda eyed her suspiciously; I wonder... "Say Gracie..." I began and the second I said Gracie she gave me a look of utter doom, "H... How did yo..."

"Cause of that lady from a few days ago, now lil bit why don't you..."  
"NAO! I WON'T GO BACK!" she scream and darted out of the car, I started to get up and go after her until who should show up but the lady I saw a few days ago! That same lady that I saw in the hospital! WOW! What were the odds that would happen!? She stood dumbfounded as Grace shot out the door, then she looked to me with the evil eye... I know my ladies! And I know when they shoot you that look … you're dead bait! I gulped hard and stared up at her, getting a real shameful feeling inside of me. "Why? Why'd you do that?! All she wanted... All I wanted for her, was for to have a normal healthy childhood!"  
"And what made you think she'd get one with me!? Or did you forget I AM AN OUTLAW! I'm always on the run and … If something happens to me, what'll happen to her?!"

"They'd send her back to Oklahoma..."

"What's there?"

"Aint none of your business!" she barked, I took a step back. Wow! She sure is a fiery lil lady aint she?! "Look, I just want what's best for my... What's best for Gracie... And if that means finding who she's related to and sending her back to them whether its here in the states or across the ocean..."  
"So you know she had family in Ireland?" She asked, wow! Her family was a long way from home weren't they?

"Then you should know she has NO livin relatives in Ireland anymore... they died... And now she only has family in Oklahoma, I would sooner face a lynchin then send that baby girl back to that devil of man!" she said, "Why don't ya sit down and.. fill me in on what's going on here." I said,  
"I can't stay long, my daddy will soon be looking for me... But if you have a heart or love that baby girl at all, then you'll avoid going to Oklahoma...EVAH!" she said as she began to turn to leave I grabbed her arm, "Can I just ask you something really quick?" I asked her, she glanced back at me a little annoyed as I could tell she didn't seem to have time for me, "What's your name? And how do you know her?"

"My name's Evangeline Du'Mage... And as for how I know little miss. Gracie May or as you so sweetly call her 'Lil Bit' well... Let's just say that's a long complicated story... and I just don't have time right now to explain myself, trust me when I tell you this but I'm sure we'll be getting into touch with each other again... But now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go look for her and get back to my father." she told me.

"Wait!" I hollered after her, she snapped around at me giving me yet another dirty look. "I already told you..."

"Let me go after her.."

"No …"  
"PLEASE! She's my responsibility! Let me take care of this mess I made!" I pleaded with her, time just sorta... stood still, our eyes fixated on each other in a major stare down; Why? Why wouldn't she just let me take care of li.. Gracie? Did she have some idea of what...was going on? NO! She couldn't! But then, what kinda connections does she have with Little Bit? And if she's related to Bit somehow.. then why doesn't she tell me and just take her!?

"How do you know her? And why don't you just take her if you have some kind of a connection to her?" I asked her, she looked away shamefully then her head darted down the hallway. "I need to go." she said as she began walking away but I grabbed her hand. "Just... Tell me what's going on here.." I asked her, "I'll wait here... But since you were so insistent on it," she said with a brow raised and a smile on her face, "You go check on her." she said as she walked into the car and had a seat.

…

"Lil Bit?! Lil Bit?! Gracie!?" I yelled around, then I saw a luggage holder on the floor open; I eyed the space a little and then heard gentle sobbing, well looks like I found her. "Bit?" I asked as I knelt down and looked into the box, and there she was; I smiled warmly and reached my hand out to her, "What do you want?!" she grouched at me, "I just wanted to see what was wrong with my little girl." I said, I'm not sure if in that moment I had fully accepted the fact that she was mine or if I had just said to simply comfort her... I reached out to stroke her and she jerked away from me. "Aaww c'mon now, what's gotten you so down?" I asked her

"You takin me back! Aren't ya? You don't want me anymore do you!? … You don't love me anymore... Do you?" she hollered at me angry n hurt, I could see the look on her face and I could just FEEL her heart breaking … The ache and pain she was feeling, her heart was splitting in two … Into bits and I know she had to feel betrayed and you could see it... "No! I'm not taking you back Gracie! Its just like I told you we're going to my..."

"Can I just go to bed please?! I'm not stupid..." she interrupted tears rollin down her face, she didn't trust me any and I could feel it... "I do love you Grace.. And that's why I'm trying to take you back baby..." I told her, after what I had done... I deserve this! "No you don't! If you did... you'd let me stay with you!" she shot back... After what had happened how I had tried to lie to her and trick her! I let out a long tired sigh and agreed to let her go to bed.

I had gotten her back to the bed car and tucked her into bed. Then I walked back out into the car where the lady was, where I had been originally been sitting only to find her gone! Great! I guess I left her waiting too long, after everything that's been going on today... I pretty much deserved all that I had been getting! Ditching the lady, lying to my daughter... Anything else ya wanna throw at me?! Like the time I hog tied that kid in 5th grade for pickin on Howie?! Or how about the time I tied that kid to flag pole just cause he was getting on my nerves?! Why can't things just go right for once in my life?!  
"All I want is just for ONE thing to go right, and to STAY that way in my life..." I said to myself. "You get things worked out with her?" came a voice, I looked over to the door and there she, Miss. Du'Mage herself! "Miss. Du'Mage?! Wha..."

"Come back to see how things were... I see it didn't go quiet how you wanted it to huh?" she said sitting next to me, looking concerned; "No it... it didn't, she don't trust me again … And now she doesn't think I love her..." I said, Evangeline sighed "Well can you blame her? You're taking her back to place where she and her family were abused horribly... Her parents were wonderful! Her father, Joshua, was a wonderful protective loving man, her mother just the same; her uncle, Daniel, was a HORRIBLE man! Mean as the devil his-self!"

The devil himself huh? I got a bad feeling about this... "What happen to her family?"

"I don't know Ten, I think they may have packed up and left and I say that because I remember in a letter that Rena sent me saying Daniel and Joshua got into a pretty bad fight, and one night and they packed up and left." she told me, I wanted to ask … What did he do when to her when nobody was around, in the quiet of night... "What all..."  
"I dunno kid, he must have beaten her because I remember the few times I'd seen her she would have bruises and pretty bad cuts on her. I'd always had sneakin suspicions that he may have been doing other things to her as well but, I cant't prove it."

"I had thought that too..." I said to her, she narrowed her eyes like she was getting ready to attack me. "Why?" she in a real cold like her soul had left her body

"Because when I told her take off her dress so I could wash it and bath her, and she freaked out... Afraid I would do something to hurt her..." I told Evangeline, I sat and twiddled my thumbs thinking of what to do next; how could I regain her trust and make her see that I love her, I care about her and just want what's best.. But, is what I'm doing really the best for her? "Any ideas what I could do to make things better with her?" I asked, she only scooted next me laying her head on my shoulder. "I dunno hun, all I can think to do is just give her some time ya know? Let her come back around to ya." she said, I cuddled her head and wrapped my arm around her. "Probably got a point." I said, and we just fell asleep like that.

_~Gracie's P.O.V~_

I was lyin in bed, my heart broken n hurtin and my stomach made me feel sick. I just wanted to go home, with my real parents and my brother. I wish my adopted dad would just let things be, I would rather things just go back to the way things were. Just me n him living happy in Arizona, but now... Now I'm probably goin back to Oklahoma, where my mean ol' uncle is... He keeps telling me we're goin to Kansa but I don't believe that... I don't really believe what anyone says anymore... I don't want to get up but I've got one problem keeping me from staying here in bed,

_'Ggggrrrawwwllllloooogggaaa!' _

My stomach! I sat up and thudded the back of my head on the wall feelin like all my limbs … My whole body, felt like lead from all the sadness and betrayal I felt. But I was too hungry to care, so I sat up and dragged myself outta bed; I peeked out of the door and found my adoptive father and my god-mother laying together! Asleep! I... I couldn't believe it! I felt she'd betrayed me too! I had been hoping she would take me home with her and now..now THIS! How could they do this to me?! That's it! I'm done here! I ran out of the car quietly and headed to the dining car, I just want to left alone at this point! How could I believe anything anybody says or does anymore!? I feel like my heart had been dropped to the floor and smashed into a bunch'a bits!

I spent most of the early morning shoving pastries and sausages into my mouth, how could this happen!? Why!?

"It's not fair! WHY DID THEY HAVE TO DIEE!?" I said throwing a jelly filled doughnut at the wall, I started throwing other things within my reach. I threw glasses, plates! "Why... Did... THIS..HAVE...TO HAPPEN!?" I said throwing a plate with all my strength, just then an elderly lady came into the room and looked around stunted at the mess I had made, with jelly from pastries spewed all over the walls and floors and shatter glass and bits of plates all over the place... "I.. I'm sorry, I'll clean it up."

"My my! Someone's had a bad tantrum." she said still gawking at the mess as I began cleaning it up, "I wish!" I said; she just looked at me confused, as I picked up a few pieces of broken plates I felt a sudden gust of cold wind go down my back; grrr! This is what I get for sleepin in my fur coat! "Sweetie why don't you just, put that down and come sit here with me." she said patting a spot next to her on the bench. I stuck the broken pieces under a rug and went to go sit next to her, "Now then tell ol Rosie what's wrong?"

"My adoptive daddy is taking me back to my mean ol' uncle and my god-mother I think is falling in love with him... And I'm scared she might agree to take me back to my horrible ol' uncle too! And I was _REALLY_ hoping she would take me to Louisiana with her! … I was also hoping my new dad would never take me back … And I thought he loved me … He's a lot like my real daddy, he's funny and kind and really friendly and sweet. And he always kept me safe and comforted me whenever I was scared... And now I just wanna go home... I wish things could go back to normal, with my REAL parents and lil kid brother! Where they didn't die... And we never had to live with my uncle... and we never had to go across the country in a wagon..." I said, I slumped down in my seat with a broken heart and tears pouring down my face like rain, I just wanted to go home... I wish my adopted daddy would love me like he did before we left here to go to Kansa... But I still think we're going to Oklahoma, how can I believe him anymore!? Or.. Anybody else for that matter..?" I asked hugging my knees and crying my eyes out! I just wanted to home and hide to get away from everybody... Home.. With my real parents... But I guess that would be Heaven wouldn't it? It kinda sounds like it, I know people often called Heaven home... And actually, that's where I would like to be... I just wanna go home, I wanna go to Heaven... Then I could feel the little old lady place a hand around my shoulder, I whipped the tears from my eyes and looked over to her; "Why can't I just go home? Why can't they be here with me anymore?"  
She looked at me sadly and nodded, "I know exactly how you feel, most of my family too is dead. My husband and my three youngest are dead, and now I'm going to live in a nursing home in Georgia."

Poor lady … she sounded so sad and lonesome.

"Why can't you live with your oldest children?"

She looked away broken hearted, trying to hold back the tears. "My eldest son doesn't want to take care of me... he sees me as a burden, and my second eldest son is unable to care for me, so my first son made arrangements for me to live in a nursing home … Far away from my home in California..."

My jaw and my heart dropped! "That's awful! How could they do such a thing!? You're their mother!" I exclaimed, "If you were my mama... I would make for you to come live with me!" I told her, she smiled at me seeming to feel a little better and then she spoke; "Well my second oldest son wasn't very happy about sending me away. He told me if he had more space at his home he would make more room, but his home was overflowing with six kids and a wife and it doesn't make things easy that they live in a small shotgun house. Poor boy, I could tell he felt terribly guilty." she said, "Didn't you feel betrayed?" I asked, she nodded. "I did, by my eldest but then again.. He and I never did have a good relationship... but my second eldest, he told me if he could he would love for me to stay with him, but he only wanted me where he knew where I would be safe. It was all because he cared about me, that's why he was sending me away. He says he might join me in Georgia, he wanted what was best. He knew he couldn't take care of me, and found a place where I could be safe." she told me, then she looked over to me. "Perhaps that's why your adoptive father is sending you away, he may not be able to afford to care for you or he may not have the room to care for you, did you think about that dear?" she asked me,

"No... I don't think he loves me... he's an outlaw, I think all he cares about is his money."

"Oooohh... So he's an outlaw, that's probably why kiddo."

My ear twitched as she spoke, I knew he didn't love me... otherwise he wouldn't be taking back to my uncle. "Then why would he take me back to my horrible uncle...? The uncle that's abused n who beats me up and calls me ugly names and..." I said squirming in my seat trying to protect myself as if he was really there. "Does he know anything about your uncle?" …

"No, but... I can't tell him! I.."

"I know its difficult but he needs to know, maybe he'd change his mind and let you go to live with your god-mother." she told me, maybe she was right... But I still didn't feel right about anything about the situation that was going on, it scared me to think of going back... It hurt me more to think that he was sending me back; but I couldn't tell him that this man abused me, he beat me and had me working in his sugar mill endlessly ... When I cried, he just beat me til I couldn't think anymore ... There were other things to but I couldn't bring myself to speak of them...

"So I guess you're saying I should give him another chance huh?" I asked her,

she nodded '_yes'_ gently and patted my hand

"I... I don't know if I can do that." I said looking away with my heart feeling like it was gripped by the boogieman! But then again she could've been right... But I.. I just don't know... I'm just scared, I'm scared of going home... Mama always called that place a Hell on Earth... and my Uncle was the devil himself, he was a ugly scary man... He always came up in my nightmares too, always a huge black shadowy character with glowing red eyes and I was always running away from him as fast as I could and my adoptive dad would always be on the other side of the world always calling me to come to him but before I reach him ... The dark shadow that was my uncle would swallow me up and ... that's when the bad things would happen but before it could get to that point.. I'd wake up screaming and I'd grip my dad as tightly as I could and cry... My heart would always beat fast as it could and I'd wake up in a sweat ... I just wanna go home to my mother, father and little brother... But I could never bring myself to death.. I would come close but I'd never do it, all because I was too scared... I don't want to die but I don't want to live like this anymore, hiding in safe places and looking over my shoulder making sure he's not there, always staying close to adults... I want to be free and happy again, doing things on my own without having to be scared... I sighed starting to feel kind of defeated, I just wanted to give up for now ... mostly because I was tired and wanted to go back to sleep.

But I just looked over to her, weary and tired. I just smiled at her and gave Miss. Rosie a hug, "Thank you Miss. Rosie. I think I get it now." I told her and I walked off leaving the dinning car a mess and going back to my car. I went back to find them both still asleep, I didn't want to go back in there with them but... I I didn't want to be alone, I felt scared and lonely... So I crawled into his lap and went back to sleep. Should I really give him a second chance? I'm not sure, I do know that... Right now, I'm just too scared to open back up and trust him again... I dunno, I think I'll worry about it later...


	9. Chapter 9

**_-OKAY YA'LL! Here's chapter nine! :D And if it's short I'm really sorry! I tried to make it long and lengthen it out but I felt it would be better to end it where it was honestly, I promise I will TRY my BEST to make up for the shortness in the next chapter! Anyway, enjoy and I apologize for the long wait! xP - _**

Tennessee's lil Bit Chap 9

"Evangilen... Ya think she'll ever trust me again?" I asked her, Eva just sat there stroking the little girl's hair lost in the silence; "She just needs time that's all..." She said, I just sat there thinking to myself

'_I gotta make this up to her somehow! Question is... Exactly HOW do I do that?' _

"I guess I'm just gonna have to move after this visit to Howie's." I said, she looked at me a lil confused all the while I just sat there with a big smirk on my face.

"Tennessee ya ol goat! Whadda ya plannin?" she said her face gettin all scrunched up like, why I couldn't help but chuckle; "Don't you worry purddy lil head Miss. Evangeline, I got it all taken care of." I said with a wink and a smile,

she just sat back her arms crosed she leaned back still givin me that dirty lil scrunched look, I just leaned back and tipped my hat over my head enjoying my little grand master plan... "Where you really from Tennessee?"

"Arizona, where else?"

"No I mean where were ya born?"

"Oh! That well... "

"Cause I do believe I hear a bit of a Mississippi accent am I wrong?" she asked, I looked away a bit embarrassed, not that I was embarrassed about being from Mississippi, never! I was very proud of that in fact! Just... "Thought I been in the midwest and out West fer so long... I kinda thought I had done lost it..." I told her scratching the back of my head feeling a lil bashful, she just giggled at me. "Tennessee I gotta ask why'd you leave the south in the first place?" she asked, I know she wasn't meaning to be nosey but... Well its kind of a sore subject for my family; "My mama just needed a change of pace, that lil woman couldn't never stay in one place fer too long ya know? Always on the, move she sure was! Hehehe..." I didn't feel right lyin to her but that was one of those, 'when I know you better I'll tell ya.' sorta things, she just nodded I'm guessing she understood what was really happenin...

"I get it hun, I won't pry into ya business sug." she said sweetly, besides that's another story for another day. "I guess it won't be too much longer til we get into the station Ten. .. Ya gonna need some help gettin her to your brother's or ya'll gonna be alright to take care of ya'self?"

"I should be okay to take her, thank ya for the offer." I said, I knew I'd have to make things up with Bit and I felt this was my ownly chance to do that. "So...where ya'll headin after this?"

"We headin to my..."

"'Vangeline! Ya'll come here please? " came a very thick southern voice, "Coming daddy! Well Tennessee I guess this is bye. Til next time, I hope I get to see ya'll 'round soon hun and ya'll better take care of my of my Gracie May now ya hear?!"

"Yes ma'am!" and with that she was gone. So now it was down to me and lil miss. Sleeping Beauty here...now how can I convince her that...

_"Now wait just a cottin pickin minute didn't Howie say something bout meetin us at the station?"_ I muttered to myself as I pulled out the letter my brother had sent me.

_"Dear Tenny How ya been? ...S' been a while since we got together and shot the breeze...maybe ya'll could come out and see me. If ya do I'll meet ya at the train station. Love ya lil Brother Howie." _

Well looks like I was right! I hope that at least gets to Gracie to believe me, I looked over at her knowin we'd be there soon and knowin most kids, I don't think she'll be happy to wake up n get dressed but I knew I had to get her up soon enough. I went up to her and shook her; "Hey we gonna be there soon... C'mon get dressed." and with that she was up, slowly but surely she was awake. We sat across from each other, I sat trying to think of what to say to her. She had her side facing me, "Ya know I been thinking... Thinkin, you'd probably like my brother Howie. He's a sweet goof, he teases a bit n it can be kinda mean, like mama but he don't mean no harm." I said "I don't care..." She told me, laying down turning away from me. "O...kay, well ya like playing animals? He's got a few horses..."  
"I said I don't care! Gosh old man! Can't you just leave me alone?!" she said as she reeled around to give me a dirty glare, now I really burrs under my saddle; here I was trying to make nice with this lil girl and now she's actin like a spoiled brat towards me?! "You don't change that tone of your's young lady..."  
"Or what?! You gonna beat me?! Go ahead and do it! Nobody cares anyway..." she said, she looked down at her feet; I couldn't quiet tell it but, from what I could see, her face began to look a lil wrinkled and twisted up. I guess she was pretty mad about something, "Now you listen here and listen to me good lil girl!" I told her as I got down on one knee, "YOU BETRAYED ME! You were gonna get with Auntie Eva n dump me with my horrible uncle! You don't care about me!"

I jumped back a little bit, stunned so... the truth comes out eh? She finally admits it! She feels like I'm gonna dump her ... I looked down and away from her, feeling an awful lot of shame over come me, but can ya blame me?! I .. I just didn't know what to do! I felt like it would have been better for her stay with family, in a stable place where she wasn't moving around all the time! But... It looks like I may have been wrong... I was still unsure of it all to be honest with you...I took her hand and she snatched it away from me and rolled over, "What's it gonna take for you to believe me huh?" I asked her in low whisper, stroking her hair all the while her back was to me. She just heaved a heavy sigh still upset with me. "Baby girl please... Let me make this up to ya..." I said pleading with her, but my response was another sigh and with that I just kinda had to give up, at least for now ya know? I figure I give her enough space and time she'll come around.


	10. Chapter 10

(_Well ladies and gentlemen, as promised I indeed made a longer chapter! and To add on, I plan to get this story wrapped up and finished soon! Within the next two chapters let's say, I **SHOULD **have this story completed! Let's hope! lol anyway I don't expect the next chapter to be too terribly long, _

_Anyway ENJOY! :D)_

Chapter 10

_**Doggie - An orphaned calf/small calf. But here its used a term of endearment. **_

**_Fight like Kilkenny Cats_** _**- Fight like h*****_

...

We made it to Topeka a few hours ago and now we were standin at the train station waiting for Howard to show up, _'I DID tell I was coming right?' _I thought to myself, I'd been so busy lately and caught up in so much hustle n bustle that I wasn't sure of things I did or rather _hadn't _done! "Well I guess we might as well go sit down kiddo, c'mon." I said as I walked over to a near by bench; she still wasn't having it though as she so stubbornly stood near the tracks, of course she wasn't going to make gaining her trust back easy ... It never is, so I guess I either wait her out or find a way to make her believe me, and the only way to do that ... Is for Howard to hopefully show up soon! I HOPE I told him I was coming... Uugg! This is gonna be a loong afternoon! I decided now was as good a time as any to take a nap, I laid my head back n tipped my hat over my face and dozed off.

_~Gracie's P.O.V~_

I stood there still steamin mad! ... My heart was still achin and all I wanted to do was cry! I know the lady on the train said to give him another chance, but how could I?! I didn't want him taking my only other chance at a happy home away from me! If he wasn't gonna take care of me ... Then I'd at least hope my Auntie would come to her senses and take me in! My uncle was a mean man, he'd hurt us kids all the time and drag us to this back room at night sometimes... I can't remember what all happened in that back room, Jack did though... I always hated that for him... said uncle touched him places Jack didn't want messed with... Uncle would force him to do other things to but I don't remember them, I guess cause as Jack was tellin me ... I'd always feel myself losin my hearing to the point I couldn't hear a thing cept really LOUD ringing... I guess cause I didn't want to hear it... Cause I knew that our uncle was doin to me what he was doin to my lil brother, I wanted to tell Pa.. I mean Mr. Tennessee, what was really going on and why I didn't want to go back but, I remember my uncle's words clearly...

_..._

_"YOU LIL BRAT HUSH UP AND TAKE IT LIKE THE LINE GIRL YOU'RE GONNA BE SOME DAY!" he said to me as he hovered over me with his humungous body over me the whole time he was grippin my mouth tightly so much it hurt! I wish he'd let me go! I he kept hurting me someplace else too! Someplace I don't like! I dunno what he's doing but it hurts and I just want it to stop! I feel like he's got a giant pole stuck someplace it shouldn't and I can't do anything about it 'cause he's too big n stronge to just shove off'a me! I just want to get outta here 'n go home! I JUST WANT MY MAMA! _

_"MAA!" I began to shout and cry out for my mother to come save only for my uncle to slap so hard up side the it nearly knocked me out, as I began to start falling asleep and the world began to get cold n black, I could barely make out what my uncle said to me... "You EVAH tell anybody what's going on in this here back room, or how you been gettin beat up at this ol sugah mill! I promise you this, I **WILL **kill ya! Make no mistake about that!" he told me and I fell asleep..._

_..._

I shuttered at that memory, I HATED that man with all my heart! I know I shouldn't think such things... But you would too if something like that happened to you... Maybe I should tell him, hopefully then he won't take me back... I turned to face Mr. Tennessee, I felt bad about the way I was actin towards him, but I was also still scared to say anything to him... I just didn't know what to do, and when I started walkin up towards him I could'a swore I heard those same familiar thuddin n claddin foot steps against the hard wood of the station floor, I turned to face who was makin all that ruckus and found my worst nightmare had come true... It was him! My Uncle Daniel, I felt like my heart fell into my belly. I got scared just like I used to, I tucked my tail and hugged myself and hunched my back like I was tryin to get into a lil ball! I just wanted to go home n get as far away as I could from that rotten yella belly low life! I took a step backwards and ran towards papa ... I mean Mr. Tennessee, oh I don't care what I called him at this point! Shoot I could call him mama and it wouldn't make no difference! I just began to run towards him and hung onto his side and wrapped his big fluffy fuzzy tail around me! I just wanna go home I just wanna go home! I want my mama, my auntie, my new daddy, my ol daddy n my lil brother and I wish I could take them all home! I buried my face in his side and held his shirt tight hoping the next time I would open my eyes again that mean ol' monster would be gone! But as I did, I looked up only to find that he wasn't gone! He was _STILL_ there!

Why wouldn't he just go away?! Oh no! He looked over here. I felt my ears fall and my eyes must'a got big, cause he started getting closer n closer, he grinned a nasty ugly yella grin with his sharp monster teeth! I whimpered and tugged at papa Tenny's shirt and started cryin! "MAMA!" I screamed, I knew mama wasn't gonna come runnin for me, but ... I knew that would wake up papa. And boy did that sure work cause he jumped up like somebody done tried to shoot'em! He looked around trying to figure out what was happenin, "Huh?! What?! What's goin on here?!" he asked lookin round, then my uncle backed off and stood at a okay distance, though I really didn't want him there at ALL! I still wish he'd go away!

He shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head towards me, "Awful cute daughter you got there mister, she your kid?" he asked, I kept trying to hide myself in papa's side; even though it didn't much work, I kept watchin him with one eye, and held onto daddy pullin his shirt closer to me. I don't think daddy was too happy with him being there either cause I felt him wrap one of his arms around me, I looked up and saw daddy watchin him lookin a lil uneasy. "_...I wish you could be here mama..." _I muttered, and hide my face I couldn't watch, and I feel my hearin going away... I just shut my eyes tight and looked away, getting ready for somethin bad to happen!

~_Tennessee's P.O.V~_

I jumped up hearing my daughter screamin her heart out! I looked around tryin to find what all the fuss was about and before I could figure out what was happenin, Lil Bit had clung to my side using my tail as a way to hide herself from...something. I looked over and saw a big hulkin man built like a lumberjack, with a brown over shirt and cowboy hat, fella looked like he was chewin tabaco; but the second he saw me wide awake, he stopped in his tracks and looked at me a lil stunned. "Awful cute daughter you got there daughter, she your kid?" he asked, I sat there glaring at him. Didn't even know this man and I just had a bad feeling bout'em! Something about him made me feel uneasy! "Yeah, she's mine... Why ya ask?" I said holding on to my little girl close 'n tight to me, something about this cowboy wasn't settin right with me! But I just could _**NOT **_for the life of me figure out just what it was! Well, anyway, it was past time for me n Gracie to be gettin along and now was a good time for us to get since Howie never seemed to have showed up and I needed to get away from this stranger.

He peered in closer at Bit and flashed a toothy grin, "Ya sure bout that now... Cause I do believe I know this lil girl..." he said, "Son I think you're mistaken now if you'll excuse me.." I said picking her up and walking away, I didn't know who this guy was but.. I wasn't about to let him get close to Bit or even take the chance of him taking her... Something wasn't right about him anyway... I glared back at him with a evil dirty look, making damn sure he'd know to keep his distance or he'd have to take up any problems he had with my shootin iron!

...

We'd made it to the nearest motel by sundown, I knew it would be best to go ahead 'n stop now so's to avoid another mishap with any other outlaws. It was probably a few hours later and my lil chickadee woke up and darted into the closet, I shook my head. I knew there was something more going on here I just couldn't figure it out what.

It was late in the evenin, I had cleaned myself off in the shower and plopped onto the bed and threw my hat n mask on the night stand near by, my shirt n vest left in the bathroom, I'd have them washed later, and left my boots by the door; I had gone through the closet and grabbed one of the oversized night shirts and slipped it on. I stretched out on the bed archin my back like a cat, stretched out my arms, cracked my shoulders, back n ankles. "Ouch! Geez! Never knew how much it smarts to crack your ankles!" I hollered as I chuckled at how silly that sounded, suddenly I heard giggles comin from the closet; I grinned happy to hear my baby girl laughing happy. "So are you good now?" I said rollin over to face the closet, I knew she was smiling by the sparkle in her eyes and watched as the eyes nodded '_yes' _which made ever happier to hear. "_Glad to hear ya baby girl." _I mumbled.

"So... You not gonna take me back to my uncle?" She asked me, I sighed more tired then upset, so I just smiled; I actually wanted to surprise her. "C'mere darlin." I said openin up my arms, she darted out towards me and cuddled into my chest. My baby girl, my little girl... Its funny to think nearly six months ago, I found this sick scraggly scrawny lil girl and now... She a beautiful lil princess, my lil outlaw princess. I sat up and walked over to a chair sittin under the window, and cuddled her as she began to doze off and as I began to wonder how in the heck I got into this mess! I never intended to keep this doggie, in fact I was gonna take her to the local orphanage honestly! But... Something about this lil ducky, something about this lil girl.. Just said '_Keep her! She needs you like you need her!' _I'm not sure what it was but, I could tell she just needed to stay around... Even when I had been thinkin of takin her back to her family in Oklahoma, I still couldn't find the heart to take her back and I just couldn't understand why?! Why couldn't I take this lil young'in back to her family?!

I didn't have an answer, but somehow... I just think it was all meant to be, ya know? I just sat with her in the big comfy rockin chair, something about holding her tight in my arms snuggling her just all felt right. As I sat stroking her hair, and the more my thoughts began to collect themselves I found myself deciding I was making the right decision.

_"Well I guess I'm gonna have to keep you now Lil Bit... Such'a sweet lil kid, ya know that? I got so used to havin ya around and just being in my life, that... now when I think about it, about you being gone... that's...I can't see it without ya kiddo, I love you so much Gracie May, daddy loves you so much and I'd give the world to keep you with me... I won't let anything or anyone get you and I'll lay down my own life just make sure your safe... I'm sorry I betrayed you like I did... And I never wanted to get ride of ya chickabiddy it's just... bein an outlaw like me, ya can't have much of a family, no wife, no kids... Ya get as far from family as ya can so that way... they don't get hurt 'cause of something stupid ya did, or the law don't go messin with'em or... Somebody that don't like you only goes after you n not your family... And I would be crushed if something happen to you baby girl. Sweet dreams baby girl, it's all gonna be alright. You'll see, daddy loves you very much baby girl, now get some rest... Sweet dreams Gracie girl." _I said as I kissed her on the head, I

couldn't tell if she was starting to be okay with me again or if she just needed somebody to cuddle her and make her feel safe, I couldn't tell, I just knew... It felt great to hold my baby girl, my daughter, in my arms and snuggle her again... Even if she wasn't really mine, she just meant the world to me... But I could tell there was a bond there, now the trick was to get her to trust me again. I couldn't... I wasn't just going to abandon her, I just couldn't she meant everything to me! I just held her closer to me, she needed me... But I needed her, I could tell... 'Cause after we get back from seeing Howard... I'm gonna go ahead and pack it in, I've collected enough of a fortune to be able to live comfortably so I think we'll be okay... Besides, I'm startin to think the law's catchin up to me, and I can't keep going like this forever... I've already gotten close to havin my head taken off, not only with bein hung but have part of my ear shot off too! She needs a safe warm place to live and somebody to take care of her and keep her safe, somebody to fill her lil head n heart with hopes n dreams and to make what hopes n dreams she has now to come true. But I needed somebody to wake me up! Make me realize what I was doing was dangerous, well... I knew what I was doing was dangerous but the thing was I needed something... Or in this case some**BODY **to make care about gettin out! I needed somebody and no woman, no lawman or other outlaw was gonna make me see that... Was make me care! No it took the love and company of a small lil girl to make me understand that. To get me going, a good kick in the seat of my pants is what I needed! Haha!

But in all seriousness, I'm glad God sent me this lil Angel... I needed her, just like she needed me... Now, got to figure out what was with that shady character at the station today! I mean really?! Who WAS this cowboy?! What did he want with Gracie? And why was he so interested in her... Thinking about it all over again my stomach churn, like when Sally used to sit on the porch n churn butter, I just couldn't take it! I wanted to **_SMACK _**that yella belly character... He seemed sick! Even more when eyed Gracie! I just couldn't take it! He was disgusting not only with his sick breath that had me thinkin he had might'a had scurvy but I think his soul was sick! He wanted more with Grace, his morals didn't seem all together and well in lined... But what was it?! I couldn't figure it out! What was with this guy and his sick seemin obsession with Gracie!?

At the thought of it all, I held Gracie tight n close to my body and wrapped my tail around her. I wanted to get up and get my pistol but the second I stood up Grace moaned n squirmed in my arms, and just as fast as I stood up and went and sat back down... I decided it would just be best to go on n get to bed, so I just went n laid in the bed my head propped against the bed frame as I stroked her back, I guess for now, it was best to call it a night. I slipped under the covers with Bit still layin on my chest, took a bit of maneuverin but I managed. There was one thought that came into my head 'fore I called it a night, _'Is what I'm doing right... Or should I just keep her... I know I've got to do what's right but ... Now I'm just not sure of what that is anymore... But the thought of saying goodbye to her... Killed me inside...But for now she's with me.. and that's all that matters right now.' _I didn't know how or what I would do, but I did know this... No lawman or yella belly uncle of her's was gonna take her from me... And if they did or thought about trying then I all I have to say is this!

Be careful cowboys, cause I'll fight ya like kilkenny cats!

_'God help the sheriff or crazy uncle that tries to take Gracie from me... 'Cause I **WILL **kill them!' _I thought to myself as I dozed off to sleep. I had a feeling it was gonna be a long couple of days in the next few days... But for now I'm just gonna work on makin things right with Grace and enjoy seein my kin.


	11. Chapter 11

_~Gracie's P.O.V~_

I woke up in the middle of the night snuggled Papa Tenny's side, I got up off'a the bed and curled up in the chair... stripped off my cloths, hey! I like to sleep like that okay? Anyway I hide under a blanket, I was still scared ... Scared my uncle would find me... Scared papa would take me back... scared Auntie Eva would forget about me and leave me behind... Seems like that's all that's been happening in my life, I keep losing all the people I love... And in their place I get monsters instead... Why?  
Why was my uncle always hurting me? Yeah he hurt my brother but... It seemed like I got it worse... I never did nothing to him... I just wanna get away, I wish I knew if daddy was really gonna take me back to Uncle Daniel's or...if we really _WERE _going to this Howard person's house or not... I wasn't too sure of anything anymore, well.. I was sure of one thing, and that was I wanted mama! I remember the fist town me n my family lived in, I think it was called Reed, I liked that place... It had bunch'a nice people in it, and no one was mean to ya... Me n Mama used to go out all the time to the store and we'd talk to shop owners for, well to me it felt like hours but mama said it was only a couple of minutes... And Jack n me would always run into the store and buy us some candy without mama n daddy knowin! Hehe, I miss those days...

Now, I didn't think I knew anything anymore.. Honestly I thought he loved me, Papa Tenny I mean... He was always nice to me, made me a bed to sleep in but I slept in his bed more then I did mine and he didn't care... He played sheriff and robbers with me, and we had tea parties, he played with me all the time, just like papa did... He got me a bunch'a nice dresses to wear too! And made good food fer me and told me all kinda stories about him and his mama, he said she was really tough pirate! What was her name? OH YEAH! Henrietta One-eye Cooper! She was really neat! I wish I could've met her, maybe she'd be able to keep papa Tenny from takin me back... hehehe, the way he makes her sound she must've been really scary! She always had her crew in line and if they did something bad she'd hang'em by their wrists on the mast sometimes by their toes! I bet she would've never taken me back...I rolled away from him and the rest of the room and fell asleep... Hopefully everything will be better in the morning.

_~~~Tennessee's Dream~~~ _

_Tennessee stood staring around he stepped back trying to figure out where he was, it was a white blank room; he stood gapping at the emptiness, "HELLO!? Anybody there?!" he hollered out, no answer. "HEY! Is anyone here?!" he called again, suddenly two lil kids had come running up towards him one a little girl wearing a frilly looking light blue dress with long sleeves, her hair in large with a bow holding up some of it in the middle of her head. She chased after a lil boy wearing a white shirt and Tennessee's hat. The boy had run between Tennessee's legs and the little girl accidentally bumped into Tennessee's side causing him to nearly trip and fall over, Tennessee had whipped around and gave the kids a look of annoyance. "BONNIE! CLYDE! Ya'll gotta be more careful now ya hear? Ya'll nearly knocked me over!" he said fussing at the two children, "Sorry Papa!" the two said in unison __'Huh?! Wait?! How did I know their names?!' he thought to himself confused as to how he knew these children's names, and just as suddenly as they had appeared they had vanished. "What in tarnation?!" he asked himself. _

_And just as suddenly as he'd found himself in that empty white room he quickly found himself in a very well decorated bedroom full of New Orleans looking objects with masks and beads and other things that would typically either be found in the French Quarter or at Mardi Gras. The room was painted a rather dull green color, "Tenny." came a familiar southern accent, he turned to face the woman and found a girl in a bright red can-can dress, with a Mardi Gras mask on, it was all red with the exception of the rims which had black lace placed on it with large pouffy feathers at the top of the mask, and a pair of brilliant emerald colored eyes shone behind the mask. "gulp!" Tennessee went as the lady approached he had very good inkling of who this woman was, "E-E-E-Evangeline?! I...Is that you!?" he said as she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her body against him quickly wasting no time to move in for a kiss not letting Tennessee object or even giving him a chance to figure out what was going on, she kissed him not letting up and wrapping her arms tightly around his body until he had finally given up and decided to let nature do its course and let whatever was to happen between the two of them happen, as he wrapped one arm around her waste and the other around her chest pulling her closer to him practically pressing her tiny warm body against his more then it already was as he returned the kiss._

_They kissed and kissed each more passionate then the other, he could feel his hips swaying back n forth. "Je vous aime mon mari." she told him and kissed him, "I love you too cher." he said nuzzling her snout. _

_Wait... What exactly did he just say?! _

_I ... _

_LOVE..?_

**_YOU?!_**

_He knew what cher, it was just a cute lil way to say 'cherie' he then pulled his right hand around to where he could see it and looked at his finger to find...A WEDDING BAND?!_

_WHAT THE HECK WAS GOING ON HERE?!_

_He looked at her bewildered and before she could kiss him again the surroundings had once again changed. _

_He landed flat on a large wooden ship, he looked around and found a female pirate with a red bandana over her hair and mask specially made with an eye patch on it, she wore a large pouffy shirt and blue pants and black boots, she'd grabbed a little boy by his arms and spun him around, he was dressed almost identically to Tennessee only he didn't have on a brown vest and western boots and the yellow bandana was on his head. Then suddenly ... It hit him! He was on his mother's ship! _

_'The White Diamond' he remembered it being called, he hide behind some barrels and watched as he and his mother played sword fights and chased each other all over the ship. It was more like an actual memory for him, it all felt so real... as he watched his younger self jumped down onto his mother's back from atop the rails on the helm, when a voice sounded from behind him. _

_"Still having doubts are ye lad?" she asked, Tennessee turned around and his jaw dropped and his heart nearly skipped a beat _

_"MAW!?" _

_ He then jumped up and hugged her, she was as he remembered her. Young just a strong, just as proud as she ever was; she didn't look a day over 30. She smiled at him a hand on his shoulder, proud of who he had become. "Lad, look at ya! You're not that little buccaneer I spun around and sword fought with on the ship. Nay, you're handsome, young scrappin outlaw! With a pretty baby girl eh? Me granddaughter. And a lovely cajun lady eh? Ya got yerself a good life goin naow don't ya?" she asked him punching him in the shoulder. He rubbed his shoulder looking away almost ashamed of what he was about to tell his mother, "Welll uuhh not exactly ya see.." but Henrietta had interrupted him with a hearty laugh, "Lad I'm yer mother! I know everything that goes on in yer life I know you took in the lil orphan girl and you don't really know that cajun woman well but oohh you want too! I saw it on yer face laddy, you want her." she said motioning to the previous scene he'd almost shared with Evangeline. _

_"But that's not what this is about... Son... Ya still seem unsure about keeping Gracie... Lad why would you take her back?! What you have with her is what you n I had once... And I've seen how ya fallen in love with her and how ya've enjoyed havin her around, ya look at her like she's yer own daughter! She's good fer ye lad, and ya need her! I know how close ye've come to getting arrested! Ya needed a guardian angel in your life and there she is curled up in the chair, and ye've got another one too; that little cajun woman..." Henrietta had scolded her son, _

_"But maw! I ..."  
_

_"I know ye planned to keep her! But I also know in the back of yer mind ye still have doubts! Ye don't think ye'd be a good father to her! Ya think she's better off with family but yer wrong buck-o! She aint! I know what's happen to her, I've seen it from beyond the grave... And she loves you, like yer her father! You need her, but she needs you as well laddy! Why can't ya understand that?! Don't take her back..." _

_"MAW! I... We'd always be on the run going from one town to the other, like an ol' marry-go-round! We'd never be settled any place and life would always be uncertain for us... for her... She'd always go day to day wonderin 'Is daddy gonna get arrested?' or 'Why's daddy out so late? I hope he aint got arrested!' mama that's not fair to her! What kind of life would that be for a little girl!? At least with family she'd be in a stable place..." _

_"YA THINK FAIR TO SEND 'ER BACK TO A MOLESTER?!" she shouted furious, 'What?' he muttered confused, molester? What?! What was going on here?!_

_"She..never told me..." _

_"She ne'er told ye that cause she was scared! She was scared that ...that... That green gilled mermaid marryin son of a sea dog would kill'er family!" _

_"Maw... I don't ..." but before he could finish his sentence the world around him began to shake and tremble violently, he could feel himself waking up. _

_"MAW WHAT'S GOIN ON!?" he asked but all he got was a tight hug, he hugged her back realizing he probably wasn't going to see her again. _

_"MAW!" _

_"Tennessee I love ya sonny boy! And please whatever ya do, DO NOT TAKE MY GRAND BABY BACK TO THAT WICKED MAN!" she pleaded and with that she faded away ... and the dream was over... _

_~Tennessee's P.O.V~_

I shot up panting and screaming, the sheet soakin wet. Then I realized I had broken out into a sweat! I looked around and realized Gracie wasn't in my arms or by side, my heart stopped and I could've sworn I turned pale, "GRACIE! GRACIE! WHERE ARE YOU!?" I hollered, I threw the blankets, pillows, sheet and heck even mattress off of the bed! I tore apart the closet throwing cloths and shoes all over the place! I rushed over to the chair in the room and ripped the blanket off of the chair and there she was, my sweet baby girl curled up. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief and dropped the blanket to the floor, I knelt down to the floor and stroked her side, I plucked her up and held her close and rocked her back and forth holding her tightly, I felt the tears coming to my eyes as I held her... Is what maw said true? What some low-life scum really do _that _kind of harm to my baby girl?! I... I didn't know, and quiet frankly... I wasn't sure that I wanted to believe that there was somebody out there that was that sick and cruel to be harming a baby like that... Granted she was a six-year old child, but still... She was like my daughter, my baby... I didn't know what to do anymore, if what I was told was true... Even if it was just a dream ... I couldn't do it! I couldn't take her back!

I cared about and loved her so much! I'd feel like such a scum life if I take her back... Maybe I should just continue on goin south with her after this lil visit, I'll need to go back to Arizona right quick for a few things but after that, we'll be back on our way south... '_What was done to you baby girl? You can tell me, I'll keep you safe from any monsters that try to hurt ya I promise! I'll always be here n I'll never let ya go!' _I whispered to her, "_Daddy?" _she muttered back to me. "So... You're not gonna take me back.. ever?" she asked, scared and uncertain. "NO! Never! You're stayin with me and not goin any place! Wherever I go... Is where you go!" I told her and with that she hugged my neck so tightly and whimpered, "DADDY! AAHhahaha..." she whaled and sobbed into the crook of my neck, that just made me hug her tighter. "Its okay baby girl its okay!" I told her as I began to rock her back n forth.

"Its all gonna be okay baby girl I promise!" I told her again, I then stood up with Grace still in my arms and we both laid down on the mattress with her gripping my shirt tightly. My sweet baby girl ... But still I have to wonder... Was what mama said to me true?

Gosh I hope not! I really hope its not... My poor kid... My poor baby girl, God please don't let any of what I heard be true...

By the next morning, I had gotten the room cleaned, Gracie bathed 'n fed and myself as well and our stuff packed. I walked out into town with Grace close behind me. "So where's this Howard guy live anyway papa?" she asked

"Well we still got a ways to go, last I heard he lived just outside of a town called White Cloud and we're here in Topeka. So I guess its back to the train station and we surprise ol'..."

"TENNESSEE!" came a holler I looked over in the direction that it came from and saw who was yellin for me, "Son of a gun! HOWARD! That you lil brother?!" I hollered back as I took Grace's hand and walked towards him. "Howard what are you doin here?!" I said hugging him, "Well I had to pick up some stuff for my barn and ... Well hey there lil lady! What's your name?" he asked her as he crouched to her level, she hide behind me looking cute as she always does, she smiled at him realizing he was an okay guy and waved at him shyly. "Gracie...But daddy calls me lil bit." she said in a quiet shy voice, I had placed my hand on her head and rubbed her head. Howard just looked at me confused and like I was plum crazy! "You didn't tell me you was paw! Shoot! Better yet, ya'll didn't tell me I was an uncle! OR that I had a sister-in-law! Who's the lucky lady though?" he asked nudging and winking at me, I just laughed him off.

"Naw I aint married, she aint even my kid! She's just... this lil orphan girl that found me and... We've just been stuck together ever since, ya know? Sides... She kinda reminds me of Sally." I told him, as she buried her face in the fur of my thigh. All I could do was just chuckle at her and play with her hair. "Well I guess we're all here we may as well just go back with you eh?" I said to him, Howard nodded and we headed back to his wagon and made the last few hours of the trip to Howard's house.

Well not much happened, we got settled in and Howard got to know his new niece, my brother and I sat on the porch like two old geezers and got to catchin up while Grace was playin in the front yard.

As I watched Howard's face, he kept watching Gracie as if there was something about her he couldn't place! But what was it?! Then his eyes widened and his mouth dropped, I looked at him confused and wondered what was wrong. "Howard... Is... Everything okay?" I asked him, he shook his head like he was shakin it off. "I..It's nothin brother, everything's fine." he told me, I knew he wasn't bein honest but I didn't fight it; I learned a long time ago he wasn't one to admit to a lie when ya called him out on it, so I just let it go. "So, well... Ya'll plannin stayin out West or ya..."

"We're gonna go back West to get somethings, but after that we're goin down South; not sure where. Probably New Orleans or Jackson." I told him, something's rotten in the Alamo again but... I just couldn't quiet figure it out, but I was getting bits n pieces so... I could at least piece everything together a little bit better then when all this began...


	12. Chapter 12

_(I'm sorry this is taking me so long guys! Umm I think I'm gonna try to finish this up in the next chapter... So next chapter will HOPEFULLY be the last :P _

_I'm not exactly a 100% sure ya know? But I'm gonna have to end this story soon, I really don't wanna just drop this story and never get it finished because I'm so close, anyway I apologize for the wait and I hope you enjoy the story! c: ) _

It was another lazy Sunday afternoon, me n Howard were on the porch shootin the breeze while Grace laid in lil ball of fluff havin a nap. "Yep, sure don't get no better than this." I said lookin out on the horizon, honestly this was actually the first time I had been happy to actually be here! Maybe I should I just come back here instead of going into the deep south. Aahh who cares, so long as it a place where nobody knows my name or my face, we'll be okay. I tipped my hat over my head, picked up my baby girl and decided to take a nap.

...

_THUD...THUD...THUD.. _

Came the sounds of heavy bootsteps onto porch steps, my ear whirled around at the sound and tilted up my head to see who it was. It was the same shady character I'd seen from the train station not a day or two ago...What's this clown want now?! I gripped Grace tight and held her close as I watched him, he lifted up his head and there it was, scars across his face from many a fight and his dark brown eyes so black you couldn't tell where the eye was and where the pupil was ... "I want my niece." he said, boy the second he said that Howard's face flew up and eyes opened and he was barrelin for a fight! He was quick to grab a garden hoe and hold it ready to beat the daylights outta this fella! Could somebody please explain what was goin on here!? Cause I sure don't know!

"Dan you better get your yella belly self off'a porch! I done told ya hundreds of times, I AINT GOT YOUR NIECE! Or any of your other family members!" he said, but Dan just glanced at Gracie. "So then why's my niece in that man's lap... I aint never know her to trust a stranger before... much less a man!" he said as he knelt down and flashed a toothy nasty yella grin at her! I ripped my gun outta my holster and held in his face, "LOOKIE HERE! .. I dunno who you are... Or what you done, but every time you come around my daughter we both get sick! Now get outta here!" I told him, he just kept lookin at her. "I done heard the law was lookin fer ya, so if ya'll wanna avoid the clink I suggest ya'll gimme back my niece..." he said, my ears fell flat and looked at'em scared... Take my baby girl... Or go to jail. Then the fire in my belly blew into an inferno!... I cocked my pistol ready to shoot, he finally got the hint and glared up at me with hate; I felt like I was lookin the devil his-self in the eyes... "Fine... Ya'll get to keep 'er... Fer now, But I _WILL _be back! And I _WILL _get my niece!" He said as he walked away glancing back at us... I knew something was wrong; and I knew I'd be in for a fight here soon...

It was late in the evenin and I was home alone, Howard had taken Bit to church with him. I hope she's good for him, I know most lil kids can get a might bit squarely durin those kinda things, I know darn well I did; I sat alone with my thoughts at this point, and a lot was on my mind.

_Was she really... molested? Should I really take her in? Is taking her back be the right thing or..is it the wrong thing?_

I laid my head back on the chair I felt like I was drowning and being suffocated by my own thoughts, I sucked in a deep breath and walked outside; I couldn't take it! I sucked in some more of that cold autumn air and let it back out again, I couldn't take it anymore! '_I need a drink.' _I said to myself and headed down into the cellar where I knew my brother kept the wheat and barley, I scoured the shelves to see what all he had but all I could find was ale and some rum. "C'mon lil brother, don't ya have any whisky!?" I muttered to myself, I knew that a shot of whisky would be great right about now! And then, I found it! "YES! Tennessee Whisky! Now you're talkin!" and I quickly grabbed the bottle and headed upstairs and plopped back down into the chair and started guzzlin down that whisky bottle, I need to escape my thoughts and so at the time that is, I thought this was a pretty good idea. Get drunk and have a good time! Unfortunately what I didn't realize was _HOW_ bad of an idea that was!

...

I wasn't sure of what time it was when I woke up, I just knew I heard heavy bootsteps cladding on floor as my ear twitched and jerked my head up all drunk and dizzy... Uuuggg, I must have lurched forward too fast cause the world started spinnin... "Who... mmm Who's t-there?!" I hollered out lookin around, then something caught my eye, I squinted my eyes and peered into the darkness. But the only thing I could see was a largely built figure standing by the door but I was so drunk I barely stay awake and I quickly passed out and heard the footsteps walk away upstairs...

_~Howard's P.O.V~_

It was probably eight'o clock when me and Grace had gotten home, I found my big brother passed out in the chair in the livin' room with some whisky in his hand and I just shook my head chucklin. "Somebody must'a had good time." I said covering him up with a blanket, "Uncle Howard?" Gracie asked but all I did was just motion my head in the direction of the stairs and she darted up the steps and went to the bathroom. I just smiled happy to have a niece and hoping she'd stay around for a long time and keep him straight! Granted, I understand that thieving was in our blood but honestly, I was never one for it. Not only was I not good at it but I had too big of a heart and good conscious on me so it never really worked out for me, but with Ten it was always different he could get away with anything and it wouldn't make no difference to him! He was a good kid though, but on the few occasions I had gone to visit with him he'd always be out all night on a heist and by the next day he'd sleep til the evenin time! But with Gracie around it was different, he'd never hardly leave and when he did it was usually just to go into town to pick up something; funny how such a little girl has such a big change on a fella, but I was glad for it!

And with that, I had headed up the stairs to bath the girl and put her to bed.

...

It must'a been pretty late when I heard those heavy footsteps come into my house; I got up outta bed and light a lamp to go investigate what was going on out there, I had a bad feeling in the pit of my guts that something bad was about to happen... I just wish I had known what it was ... I walked out into the hallway and found a big burly built figure standing at the top of my stairs! I held the lamp out just enough to get a better look and loan behold if I'll be damned! It was Daniel! What in tarnation does that skunk want now?! AND WHY WAS HE IN MY HOUSE! "What do you want?!" I hollered, but all I got was a shovel to the head and got knocked out last thing I remember hearing was screaming and hollerin from Gracie's bedroom and I went out cold after that ...

"GRACE! GRACIE?!" I heard Tennessee hollering the next morning as he darted around the house, I slowly pushed myself up and saw what ruckus he'd made! end tables in the hallway knocked over sheets n blankets from every bedroom in the house flying down the hallways, lamps and other objects having been knocked over and broken... This was not good... I slowly go to my feet and walked into Gracie's bedroom, "She aint here..." I told him, Ten flew around at me with blaze in his eyes, the look on his face almost looked demonic, eyes wide nearly black with anger his face a ragged scruffy lookin mess from bein hung over... "WHERE IS SHE THEN!?" he screamed, "Daniel's got her... Look partner..." but before I could finish my sentence he was gone n off down the stairs gatherin supplies and loading pistols n other guns, I staggered down after him havin to cling to the railing, I don't get him; my head was poundin from the beatin with shovel I had gotten last night and I'm barely able to walk, but he's hung over and moving like a twister! I guess when your kid's in trouble that'll do that to ya. "Tennessee you don't even know where..."

"That don't matter! I'll go bashin every house in Oklahoma til I find her! NOBODY'S GETTIN AWAY WITH TAKIN GRACIE FROM ME!" he screamed again and after that he fell to the floor clutchin his head from bein so hung over! That bonehead's gonna get himself killed! "Look pinhead! You need to go lay down, now I'll go out and talk to some of the locals and see what I can figure out okay? I promise... I won't let her get away and I won't let you down..." I said, I helped to his knees and he just looked at me, we both knew he was in bad shape and he sure couldn't even handle a lil trip to the store much less a long trip down to Oklahoma... "Go lay down, and..."  
"What happen to your head... You got a big ol' gash on the side of your head!" he said trying to inspect my wounds, after a few minutes I guess he figured out that neither of us were in a good shape do to much, "Howard... Just go see if you can't find a doc... I'll go lay down..." he said becoming disheartened I placed a hand on his shoulder, "Look big brother... we're gonna find her okay? ... I promise." I said and pulled him into a hug

One or another we're gonna get this figured out...


	13. Chapter 13

_~Ten's POV~ _

It'd been a few days and I had gotten my things packed up and gotten a few of Gracie's cloths together, Howard wasn't allowed to leave the house since he had a pretty bad head wound... Besides even if he was in good spirits I still wouldn't have allowed him to come with me; this is my fight and mine alone! Something I need to do myself. "Tennessee, ya got everything you need?" I heard a voice comin from behind me, "Yeah, but my question is this, how did you know..."

"I knew Dan's brother, Johnny, me and Johnny had worked a few odd jobs in town a few years ago and he would join us from time to time... I honestly think Dan hated me cause me n Johnny had that brother relationship he n Dan never had. In fact Johnny n his family came here for a lil while to try n escape from bein all beat up all that from Dan, ah Dan he was real jealous of his brother; Johnny had lots of friends, got all the girls. Heck! Johnny boy even got the girl Dan had been eyeing for months! Had a family with her... That made Dan powerful mad! Used to beat that woman n her kids when Johnny wasn't around... Hated him for it..." Howard explained.

So that would explain how he knew Grace was here... I stood and nodded. "I see, well guess I better be going now." I told him, I looked over at Howard. Poor fella looked pitiful, head hung low and shameful; I went and put a hand on his shoulder, grinnin with that devilish look in my eye. "Don't worry lil brother! I'll make things right!" I pulled him into a hug and patted his back, "I know you will and when you find Dan... Give'em hell for me would ya!?" he said and we both laughed, "Trust me I'll give'em enough hell for the three of us!" I said and with that I was out the door on my horse and gone!

It was probably four in the evenin by the time I'd made it to a small town in Oklahoma, I wasn't sure where I was but I had stopped for a little while to get a drink and get some food. I plopped down at the bar, "Here ya are." the bartender said sliddin me a beer, probably not a good time to be drinking but I feel like I could use a sip or two.

I sat eatin n drinking tryin to figure out what to do next, I can't believe I let this happen... If I hadn't been drinkin... Well, what's done is done! Now I need to figure out what these folks know! I nodded my head at the bartender figurin maybe he'd know something, "Hey bartender! What do ya know about a Daniel Neal?" I asked the bartender just looked at me like he'd seen a ghost, he slowly pulled away from me and tended to the others at the bar. Boy he must have a good grip on the town if everyone here is scared to talk about him; suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned around to find a young buck, he looked like a border collie, shaggy looking a lil haggard from the booze but he still seemed a lil sober to know what he was doing. "You lookin fer .. Daniel Neal eh? He live outside a town... But why you.. you gonna go look - look fer em? What he do to you?" he said, or maybe I was wrong.

"Cause he's got something ... _VERY _important to me..." I told as I tipped my hat and walked away.

"You be careful! He's a Ornery one!"

"Don't you worry bout my ass...Just pray for his!" I said as I glanced back coldly at the drunk, I knew all Hell was about to break loose, I could feel and it even the skies above could feel it with the on coming storms... I knew all this pointed to some kind of bad omen but I don't care; cause it'll be worth it to hold my little girl in my arms again!

"So... there it is huh? Well now it's time for the stand off of the century!" I said climbing off of my horse and making my way into the house, maybe I can get away with not having to deal with him, I time everything just ...

_"NAO! PLEASE! IT HURTS!... PAPA!"_

My world stopped and my body went cold, no.. No no no NO! I barreled through the front door of the house searching for where they could be,

_"PAPA!"_

I heard another scream. Then suddenly I heard hard SLAP! "Aahhaaooochh... I wanna go home.."

_"YOU ARE HOME YOU LITTLE BRAT! NOW SHUT UP AND TAKE IT LINE GIRL!" _

_"I'm not a line girl!"_

_"JUST SHUT UP!" _

Then suddenly I heard a loud thump and everything grew quiet and cold, I walked around moving real quiet like. Suddenly I heard someone walkin round down stairs in the cellar, so I went to investigate. As I reached the top of the stairs peering down into the darkness below, I was almost certain that was where she had to be. I cocked my pistol and braced myself but before I could even make it down the first step who should be makin his way up the stairs but the devil his-self! I just gave him this look like he was bout crazy! His eyes wide yella with that same ugly yella toothy grin glarin down at me, "So..." he started, "You're the one that little brat's been talking about eh? Well ... Wait a minute, I recognize you! You're that Tennessee fella! Yeah, the one the sheriff's been looking for!"

"You turn me in we'll go to jail! I'll tell'em what you been doing to poor Grace!"

"You wouldn't..."

"I would, if I go down... The least I could do is make sure you go down with me!"

he curled his fists and glared at me evilly, I knew I was gonna have to brace myself for a fight. But I was ready! Even I die tonight, I'll come back from the grave and protect her, and last I heard there wasn't no way you could get ride of a ghost! I took my pistol and pushed it against his fore-head, then he just looked at the gun on his head. And with ungodly strength he yanked it outta my hand and threw me and the gun down the stairs!

I tried to lift myself up, my head was poundin ... Geez... how on earth did a man get so strong?! It wasn't possible...was it? I tilted my head up a little ways and saw the giant figure looming over me, same evil toothy yella faced grin look I had gotten before. I staggered to my feet and nearly tripped myself, I clutched my pistol in my hand; I just stood there watching as that devil inched closer n closer. This was it, it was now or never! Here my time had come, I wasn't too sure if I was gonna make it outta this alive or not but, I had to at least try! I braced myself and my pistol got ready to shoot before anything could happen ...

_**BAM! **_

And with that he dropped to the ground. I stood there a lil stunned and then saw a tiny beaten bloody shakin mass, I holstered my gun and grabbed up the mass, I knew it was her! "Baby!"

"I knew you'd come daddy..."

"Let's get outta here." I said walking out with her dozing off in my arms.

We rode back to town both us tired and beaten, but we did it! I finally got her back and now I could carry on with the rest of my plans. Or... So I thought. _'Boy! These winds are gettin fierce!' _I thought, I looked up and watched as the clouds gathered and watched as dry lightenin light the sky. Great, another bad omen... What could it be this time? Then I heard it... "HE'S COMING!" she screeched, I jerked my head back and before I could react a shot had been fired. I ripped out my gun and took off runnin away from him, how?! How did he come too with a hit like that?! "Papa I'm scared!" she said lookin at me tears rollin down her face, so I managed a little finagling and got her in front of me to shield her; then I turned my attention to the rat behind me. I lined up my shot and fired, only it grazed his horse, well slowed him down at least. "TENNESSEE KID! IF I CAN'T HAVE HER... THEN NO ONE CAN!" he hollered and shot back again hitting me in the shoulder, I lurched back to grab and nearly fell off of the horse. Poor Grace... I knew I should have done away with him when I had the chance! I whipped the reigns again to get a little bit more speed going, "PAPA LOOK!" Gracie yelled again, I looked up and saw it. A giant twister tearin through the country side, I looked back behind me and that bastard was still there ... Ahead of me was a twister... I wasn't goin out not like this! I turned back and lined up shot again this time, if I couldn't hit him.. I'd at least get his horse and that was all I needed.

I cocked my gun just as he cocked his and we both shot... Hit me again, cept this time it was in my side but I managed to get his horse in the leg and down he went...

"HEY! YOU!"

I heard somebody cryin from far off, I looked up and saw a border collie lookin fella wavin his arms.

"YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF THE STORM!" he hollered and we went towards the house and took shelter...

We sat down in the cellar, I covered Grace and held her close to me til the storm passed. I felt like I had finally done something right by her, I just wish I could have protected her from all this before it had a chance to happen... But I guess I can't worry bout the past now. Just hope things could only go up from here...

After the storm was over and I had my wounds tended too we finally made it back to Howard's, he and Grace and pretty happy reunion and we even had a little fun to celebrate, took her out fishin and had a picnic, taught her how to square dance. Hahaha, it was all fun.

Later after all the fun had settled down and Grace had been put down for the night I got down to business.

"So what's your plan now Ten?" Howard asked leanin against the frame of the doorway, "Just tryin to decide what I need to pick when I go back to Arizona and then I'll it all behind..." I told him while I was sittin there tryin to think of what all I needed, which was really clothing and the Theivious Raccoonous.

"What are ya gonna do after that?"

"Probably go to New Orleans and find her god-mother... And settle things from there." I told him

"Gonna leave with her god-mother?! After all that!?"

"I'm gonna see if I can adopt her dang it Howard... You really think after all that crap we just went through that I would just give her up just like that?! Boy... _Ain't got the brains worth of nothin!" _

"What was that Ten?"

"Nothin Howard... Nothin at all."

_FIN_


End file.
